Football General Manager
- Vallejo praises Rodrygo amid Madrid struggles
- Was more fascinated by him than with Vini & Mbappe
- Believes Brazilian can be key for many years to come
Former Madrid centre-back Vallejo, who recently left the club and joined second division side Albacete as a free agent, made a surprising admission regarding Rodrygo, claiming that he was “fascinated” by the technical quality of the ex-Santos prodigy and found him better in that aspect in comparison to Mbappe and Vinicius.
Speaking in an interview with AS Vallejo was asked which player impressed him most technically, he replied: “Rodrygo. In small-sided training sessions, he displayed tremendous talent. I was fascinated by him.”
As a follow-up question, Vallejo was asked if he was impressed with Rodrygo more than Vini Jr. and Mbappe. The defender said: “In that respect, yes. He’s really good and has impressive footballing qualities.”
Rodrygo’s future at the Santiago Bernabeu has been cast into doubt, with the winger losing prominence in the starting XI over the course of the previous campaign. At the Club World Cup, under new head coach Xabi Alonso, the 24-year-old played less than 100 minutes and started just one game out of six in the tournament. He has been linked with numerous clubs, with Arsenal, Liverpool, and Paris Saint-Germain reported to have been interested in signing him this summer.
When asked if Madrid would be making a mistake parting ways with the Brazilian, Vallejo provided his thoughts.
“I don’t want to interfere where it doesn’t belong, but Rodrygo has already proven his worth and has done so consistently,” the former Wolves defender said. “If he regains his best form, he should be an important player for Madrid for many years to come.”
Madrid are believed to be open to Rodrygo’s departure, even though the player wants to stay and convince Alonso that he can rely on him. Per reports, Los Blancos will not force his departure and will leave the final decision up to the player himself.
